Apparatus and method for providing a temperature-differential circuit card environment

Abstract

An apparatus for, and method of, providing a desired temperature-differential circuit card environment includes a plurality of card units. Each card unit comprises a first thermal plate having front and back first plate sides oriented in a lateral-longitudinal plane, the first thermal plate operating at a first plate temperature. A second thermal plate has front and back second plate sides oriented in the lateral-longitudinal plane, the second thermal plate operating at a second plate temperature. A coupler is oriented in the lateral-longitudinal plane and is connected to front and/or back first plate sides and to the front and/or back second plate sides to form a card unit. The card units are arranged in a transversely oriented stack with the front first and second plate sides of a second card unit being directly transversely adjacent the back first and second plate sides of the first card unit.

We claim: 
     
       1. An apparatus for providing a desired temperature-differential circuit card environment, the apparatus comprising:
 a plurality of card units, each card unit comprising
 a substantially planar first thermal plate having front and back first plate sides oriented in a lateral-longitudinal plane and separated transversely by a first plate thickness which is significantly smaller than a length of the first thermal plate in both the lateral and longitudinal directions, the first thermal plate having an operative configuration at a first plate temperature, 
 a substantially planar second thermal plate having front and back second plate sides oriented in substantially the same lateral-longitudinal plane as the first thermal plate, the front and back second plate sides being separated transversely by a second plate thickness which is significantly smaller than a length of the second thermal plate in both the lateral and longitudinal directions, the second thermal plate having an operative configuration at a second plate temperature which is different than the first plate temperature, and 
 a laterally extending plate coupler oriented in substantially the same lateral-longitudinal plane as the first and second thermal plates, the plate coupler being connected to at least one of the front and back first plate sides and the plate coupler being connected to at least one of the front and back second plate sides to maintain the first and second thermal plates in relative longitudinal spacing to form a card unit; and 
 
 the plurality of card units being arranged in a transversely oriented stack with at least a portion of front first and second plate sides of a second card unit being directly transversely adjacent at least a corresponding portion of the back first and second plate sides of the first card unit. 
 
     
     
       2. The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the plate coupler occupies at least a portion of a space transversely between adjacent first and second card units and longitudinally between the first and second thermal plates of at least one of the first and second card units to restrict at least one of magnetic, thermal, and radiation transmission longitudinally between the first and second thermal plates. 
     
     
       3. The apparatus of  claim 1 , including at least one circuit card, having front and back circuit card sides oriented in a lateral-longitudinal plane and separated transversely by a card thickness which is significantly smaller than a length of the circuit card in both the lateral and longitudinal directions, the circuit card carrying at least one IC chip on the front circuit card side, facing transversely opposite the back circuit card side, and wherein the back circuit card side is directly transversely adjacent to the front first and second plate sides of a selected card unit. 
     
     
       4. The apparatus of  claim 3 , wherein the at least one circuit card is a fore-facing circuit card, and including at least one rear-facing circuit card, carrying at least one IC chip on a front rear-facing circuit card side, facing transversely opposite a back rear-facing circuit card side, and wherein the back rear-facing circuit card side is directly transversely adjacent to the back first and second plate sides of the selected card unit. 
     
     
       5. The apparatus of  claim 3 , wherein the circuit card includes first and second longitudinally spaced circuit card subassemblies, connected together into a single circuit card oriented substantially in the lateral-longitudinal plane, the first and second circuit card subassemblies being connected together by a laterally extending card connector oriented in substantially the same lateral-longitudinal plane as the first and second circuit card subassemblies. 
     
     
       6. The apparatus of  claim 5 , wherein the card connector includes a plurality of connector apertures extending transversely therethrough. 
     
     
       7. The apparatus of  claim 6 , wherein the plate coupler includes a plurality of transversely extending protrusions, each protrusion extending transversely through a corresponding connector aperture when the card units are in the transversely oriented stack to restrict at least one of magnetic, thermal, and radiation transmission longitudinally between the first and second thermal plates. 
     
     
       8. The apparatus of  claim 1 , including a thermal energy transfer device operatively connected to at least one of the first and second thermal plates for at least partially inducing the respective first and second plate temperatures. 
     
     
       9. A method of providing a desired temperature-differential circuit card environment, the method comprising:
 providing a plurality of card units, each card unit comprising
 a substantially planar first thermal plate having front and back first plate sides oriented in a lateral-longitudinal plane and separated transversely by a first plate thickness which is significantly smaller than a length of the first thermal plate in both the lateral and longitudinal directions, 
 a substantially planar second thermal plate having front and back second plate sides oriented in substantially the same lateral-longitudinal plane as the first thermal plate, the front and back second plate sides being separated transversely by a second plate thickness which is significantly smaller than a length of the second thermal plate in both the lateral and longitudinal directions, and 
 a laterally extending plate coupler oriented in substantially the same lateral-longitudinal plane as the first and second thermal plates; 
 
 connecting the plate coupler to at least one of the front and back first plate sides and connecting the plate coupler to at least one of the front and back second plate sides to maintain the first and second thermal plates in relative longitudinal spacing to form a card unit; 
 configuring the first thermal plate for operation at a first plate temperature; 
 configuring the second thermal plate for operation at a second plate temperature which is different than the first plate temperature; and 
 arranging the plurality of card units in a transversely oriented stack with at least a portion of front first and second plate sides of a second card unit being directly transversely adjacent at least a corresponding portion of the back first and second plate sides of the first card unit. 
 
     
     
       10. The method of  claim 9 , including restricting at least one of magnetic, thermal, and radiation transmission longitudinally between the first and second thermal plates via placement of the plate coupler within at least a portion of a space transversely between adjacent first and second card units and longitudinally between the first and second thermal plates of at least one of the first and second card units. 
     
     
       11. The method of  claim 9 , including:
 providing at least one circuit card, having front and back circuit card sides oriented in a lateral-longitudinal plane and separated transversely by a card thickness which is significantly smaller than a length of the circuit card in both the lateral and longitudinal directions; 
 carrying at least one IC chip on the front circuit card side of the circuit card, facing transversely opposite the back circuit card side; and 
 placing the back circuit card side directly transversely adjacent to the front first and second plate sides of a selected card unit. 
 
     
     
       12. The method of  claim 11 , wherein the at least one circuit card is a fore-facing circuit card, and including:
 providing at least one rear-facing circuit card; 
 carrying at least one IC chip on a front rear-facing circuit card side of the rear-facing circuit card, facing transversely opposite a back rear-facing circuit card side; and 
 placing the back rear-facing circuit card side directly transversely adjacent to the back first and second plate sides of the selected card unit. 
 
     
     
       13. The method of  claim 11 , wherein providing at least one circuit card includes:
 providing at least one circuit card having first and second longitudinally spaced circuit card subassemblies; 
 providing a laterally extending card connector oriented in substantially the same lateral-longitudinal plane as the first and second circuit card subassemblies; and 
 connecting the first and second circuit card subassemblies together into a single circuit card oriented substantially in the lateral-longitudinal plane via the card connector. 
 
     
     
       14. The method of  claim 13 , wherein providing a laterally extending card connector includes providing a plurality of connector apertures extending transversely through the card connector. 
     
     
       15. The method of  claim 14 , wherein the plate coupler includes a plurality of transversely extending protrusions, and including:
 extending each protrusion transversely through a corresponding connector aperture when the card units are in the transversely oriented stack; and 
 restricting at least one of magnetic, thermal, and radiation transmission longitudinally between the first and second thermal plates with the plurality of protrusions. 
 
     
     
       16. The method of  claim 9 , including:
 providing a thermal energy transfer device; 
 operatively connecting the thermal energy transfer device to at least one of the first and second thermal plates; and 
 inducing the respective first and second plate temperatures at least partially with the thermal energy transfer device.